Being the emperor of the Great Ming Empire, the most famous person in the world, who now has the merit of expanding territories, it is fair to say that the fame of the Jiajing Emperor has far surpassed that of the emperors of the past, even exceeding those of the founding emperor of the Great Ming Empire, and the emperor who swept through Mo Bei.
For others, collecting incense faith might be somewhat troublesome, but for him, it was almost a piece of cake, requiring no particular hassle.
After all, whether this world is superior or not, as the emperor of a massive empire, he is still viewed as a divine being by the ordinary people and martial artists.
He was born to walk this path.
In accordance with the agreement between Pei Xuanjing and the elders of the Great Ming imperial court, they supported Pei Xuanjing and others in implementing the Divine Dynasty plan. In return, Pei Xuanjing and the others needed to allow them to embark on the path of cultivation to gain more lifespan.
It is the temptation of a long life that can make these powerful elders willing to give up significant interests and fully support them.
Now that the success of the Divine Dynasty plan on earth is in sight, Pei Xuanjing and the others naturally have to deliver on what they promised.
Originally, Pei Xuanjing was somewhat worried, unsure whether what they brought to the table would be useful.
After all, even though enfeoffing the gods has been done, the two elders of the True Martial Sect have significant strength, so they can withstand the immense surge of spiritual energy and the imposition of laws.
But most of these elders have not achieved much in martial arts, nor do they have much talent. Considering the current rate of recovery of heaven and earth essence qi, even if they are enfeoffed, whether they can gain enough effect is uncertain.
However, now the Door Incense Refining God Skill undoubtedly solves Pei Xuanjing's urgent concerns. After all, this skill can also let these people cultivate it, especially for those aging elders in the court. They can also use the power of incense faith to cultivate and bind themselves further with the Divine Dynasty on earth.
"Perhaps, I should make a trip to Tiandu," thought Pei Xuanjing.
Now that the location of the dragon vein outside the border has been determined, the Feng Shui Masters have begun to remodel it, leading these qi luck into the Divine Continent. The Divine Dynasty plan on earth is about to commence, and he can also enter Tiandu to start promoting it.
After making the decision, Pei Xuanjing and Mr. Wu left Shenxiao Mountain and headed towards Tiandu.
He didn't deliberately hide his tracks, so when Pei Xuanjing descended Shenxiao Mountain, all the powers in the world started reacting.
All the forces that knew about the Divine Dynasty plan on earth speculated that Pei Xuanjing's entry into Tiandu was likely to truly begin promoting this plan. They couldn't help but start moving towards Tiandu, wanting to get a slice of the pie in the upcoming feast.
"It appears that the Divine Dynasty plan on earth is about to commence," Xue Wuheng seriously said, his face grave, and his eyes sparkled.
Although he had some understanding of this Divine Dynasty plan on earth, he did not clearly understand the subtleties of this Dynasty. Or more accurately, apart from Pei Xuanjing, no one else had a clear understanding.
However, Xue Wuheng was very confident that if this Dynasty was successful, it would be a definite leap forward in strength for Pei Xuanjing, otherwise why would the latter waste such a considerable effort to push for this project.
"Indeed!" Zhao Baiyang remarked with a sigh.
He and Xue Wuheng shared the same opinion, knowing this plan would be of great help to Pei Xuanjing or could elevate the latter's strength to a higher level.
"Back in the day, we dominated the martial world for decades, and he was but a newcomer. Now, his strength is beyond our reach," Xue Wuheng said, a trace of loss appearing in his eyes. He sighed, "Back then, the power he displayed using only an incarnation was earth-shattering. If his true form were to act, I fear the heaven and earth couldn't contain him!"
Indeed, the action taken by Pei Xuanjing's incarnation had made a huge impression on all the powerhouses present, sending an unseen deterrence.
These self-proclaimed superior powerhouses believed that their strength had rapidly improved after the revival of heaven and earth. But compared to Pei Xuanjing, the gap was still massive. It didn't shrink but instead, it kept expanding.
Once upon a time, they could team up and fight him, but now, even as a team, they might be inferior to one of his incarnations.
"In any case, we absolutely cannot miss this opportunity. If we keep cultivating in seclusion, we may only widen the gap between us and him," Zhao Baiyang said solemnly.
As for Pei Xuanjing, from their first encounter and fight in the Wild Mountain Ancient Temple, he was taken aback by Pei's exhibited strength. He viewed Pei as a whetstone for himself, continually holding back, hoping to find a worthy opponent for his future breakthrough.
As expected, Pei Xuanjing displayed extraordinary strength and talent, becoming a rare rival he met in his life.
But he never imagined, Pei's growth was so rapid that it was beyond imagination.
Now, he can't even match up to Pei Xuanjing, and despite his efforts, he has always been behind, now he couldn't even see his back.
This was hard to accept for the always prideful Zhao Baiyang.
"Indeed, if we can't improve our strength, it's equivalent to sitting and waiting for death," Xue Wuheng nodded in agreement.
In this conquest outside the border, they had claimed innumerable miles of grassland into the Divine Continent, and their harvest was not small. But the gains of Pei Xuanjing and the Great Ming imperial court were even greater.
It could be said that the gap between the two parties had not narrowed down but had widened even further.
Pei Xuanjing is manageable. With his strength, he shouldn't make moves against them. After all, if he wanted to, he would've done it long ago, no need for him to wait until now.
But the case of the Great Ming Imperial Court was different. He knew that although they seemed to coexist peacefully with the Great Ming imperial court at present, the hatred between the two parties would never be resolved.
Regardless, the previous emperor of the Great Ming imperial court had died at their hands. For the Great Ming imperial family and the Great Ming imperial court, this was an indelible disgrace and hatred.
If the gap in strength between the two parties widens, the Great Ming imperial court and the Great Ming imperial family would definitely make moves against them – it was inevitable.
Therefore, they absolutely couldn't miss this opportunity. At the least, they couldn't let the power discrepancy between them and the Great Ming imperial court or the Great Ming imperial family grow too large. Otherwise, they would face a disaster.
"So, let's travel together and head to Tiandu!"
"Alright!"
News of Pei Xuanjing returning again to Tiandu spread, and the siblings Xue Hanyi, who had always been outside the borders, and Mu Binghua of Heart Moon Lake, gathered to discuss the matter.
As strong martial artists who returned from the Sky Wasteland, even if they were no longer the strongest in their ancestral lands, they were still top-tier powers with the strength of the Spirit Realm Third Level.
Moreover, backed by an ancient power, they easily attracted ordinary martial artists without strong backgrounds to join them.
After all, while some major powers might not envy them, for the average martial artists, joining an ancient power is an excellent opportunity.
Their successful campaign against the Demon Race also positioned them to be given a fiefdom as temporary territory.
This was a satisfactory development for Xue Hanyi and his sister, as they had a responsibility to fulfill upon their return.
However, busy as they were, they could not help but speculate on Pei Xuanjing's likely plans for the Divine Dynasty on earth upon hearing of his trip to Tiandu.
"A Divine Dynasty on earth — even the kingdoms and ancient countries of the Sky Wasteland have never dared to attempt this," Xue Hanyi could not help but marvel, "Can they really succeed?"
Although they did not understand the mystery of why there could be no Divine Dynasty on earth in the Sky Wasteland as well as Mr. Wu did, they knew that there had never been a kingdom or ancient country in the Sky Wasteland that became a Divine Dynasty.
Therefore, they were very curious about this and did not want to miss it.
Given that part of their mission upon return involved gathering information about various powers in the ancestral land, they would not want to miss such a significant event now.
Moreover, their Da Xue ancient country was a dynasty itself. Witnessing this event and subsequently reporting it to their ruler would likely earn them rewards.
"Indeed, such a grand event cannot be missed," Mu Binghua said with a smile.
She was also very curious about this event and wanted to witness it.
Although Heart Moon Lake did not have ambitious aspirations, they enjoyed making friends.
If the Great Ming Empire could truly transform into the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, it would be an excellent ally for Heart Moon Lake.
The group quickly reached a consensus and decided to put aside their current affairs to travel to Tiandu to witness this grand event.
Tiandu, the National Teacher Daoist Temple.
Pei Xuanjing had returned to the Taoist temple built by the emperor for him.
Even though he had not been present for several years, the Taoist temple had people stationed to clean it every day, never allowing dust to accumulate.
Upon Pei Xuanjing's return, countless people sent invitations requesting a meeting. Pei Xuanjing had his men accept a few of them and rejected the rest.
That night, Bai Xiaosheng and Daoist Xuanming arrived together.
Mr. Wu, understanding that they had something to discuss, tactfully excused himself to leave the three men alone.
"Seems like you've gained much this time?" Bai Xiaosheng said with a smile.
Clearly, he was aware of Mr. Wu's journey to Shenxiao Mountain and concluded that the two men must have reached a deal now that Pei Xuanjing had accompanied Mr. Wu to Tiandu.
Pei Xuanjing nodded in response. "Indeed, Mr. Wu knows a great deal."
He detailed all the secrets he had learned in his conversations with Mr. Wu to the other two men,
Bai Xiaosheng and Daoist Xuanming were taken aback by what they heard.
They never imagined that the Divine Dynasty on earth had so many secrets and that it had been quietly suppressed by various powerful forces.
"Fortunately, those people have not returned yet, or we wouldn't be able to carry out this plan," Bai Xiaosheng said with a smile.
Daoist Xuanming looked serious: "But, this implies that once those ancient powers return, they might conflict with us."
"So what?" Bai Xiaosheng chuckled, his eyes chilling, "Not to mention that our plan has already entered the final stages and cannot be halted. Even if we were not doing this, would they stand by and let us occupy so many benefits when they return? Conflict is inevitable."
Daoist Xuanming remained silent. Bai Xiaosheng was right; their plan had already advanced too far to stop. If they did stop, not only would the parties with whom they were cooperating be discontented, but so would many people within their own factions.
After all, although breaking through realms was more straightforward during the recovery of Heaven and Earth, not everyone could break through to the Spirit Realm. Especially those elders in their sects with limited lifespans. They were still hoping to prolong their lives through the Divine Dynasty plan.
Furthermore, they now held so many benefits in this world that once the ancient powers returned, conflicts over these interests with them would be inevitable.
Consequently, they had no choice in this matter. Regardless of how those powers saw it, they had to push forward with the plan.
Pei Xuanjing understood this fully, so he did not dwell on it. He waved his hand, and two booklets appeared in his hand, which he handed to the two men.
"Please take a look at this God Refining Skill," he said.
Neither man refused, they understood enough about the cultivation world to realize the advantage they could have should they have a look at this method – even if they didn't practice the God Refining Skill, it could still provide some insights.
Pei Xuanjing watched the pair engrossed in studying the manuals without any hurry, quietly waiting.
After a long while, both men looked up from the books, their eyes reflecting their amazement as they gazed at Pei Xuanjing.
Bai Xiaosheng tentatively asked, "Are you planning to give this manual to the Emperor?"
Daoist Xuanming also stared at Pei Xuanjing intently, waiting for his answer.
Both men, being among the strongest martial artists in the world, had seen countless martial arts techniques. They could naturally assess the merit of any technique.
More so because they had previously practiced the cultivation manual that Pei Xuanjing had organized about Spirit Refining and Gathering of the Divine Soul – they had strengthened their spirits. Although they had not yet gathered a Divine Soul, they understood a great deal about Spirit Refining.
This Incense Fire God Refining Skill was indeed a top-tier skill for refining spirits, and of course, with their intelligence, they realized that the most suitable person to practice this technique would be the emperor.
"Yes!" Pei Xuanjing confirmed.
This copy of the manual was a version that he had copied from the Incense Fire God Refining Skill, with some of his understanding and knowledge added into it.
"Aren't you afraid of creating a tiger that could swallow you up?" Bai Xiaosheng asked gravely.
As the head of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, who had been frequenting the Imperial City for a long time, he was aware of the capabilities of the Emperor of the Great Ming Empire.
This Great Ming Emperor had been on the throne for over a decade, but his displayed talent was unarguably impressive.
The emperor of Great Ming was originally chosen to be a lucky charm through the compromise of various forces, but who could have anticipated that this exceptionally clever, almost naturally born emperor, would grasp control of the entire court within just over ten years.
Besides, his exceptional talent in Refining Spirit is unparalleled, and he has now gathered his Divine Soul and is only half a step away from transforming into a Yin Spirit to rise to the Spirit Realm.
His view concurs with Pei Xuanjing's; this skill seemed to be tailor-made for this emperor. He could be said to be the person in the world most suited to cultivate this skill.
Now that the Divine Dynasty is about to be established on earth, as the Emperor of Great Ming, he is undoubtedly the one who will benefit the most. If he also had this skill, he would be like a tiger growing wings, certain to soar up and stand among the strongest in the world.
In the past, this might have been alright, but once this emperor gains enough strength, would he sincerely cooperate with them?
Remember, all that they have done previously was to deprive power from the royal family of Great Ming. Once the emperor becomes strong again, he certainly will want to take back this power.
"Establishing the Divine Dynasty on earth was originally meant to cultivate more potent individuals. If you think too much, it's better not to do it at all." Pei Xuanjing said, shaking his head.
For Pei Xuanjing, he didn't worry about the emperor's increase in strength because even if the other party became stronger, he would still not be a match for him.
Moreover, he was willing to nurture the other party because of the latter's means and wisdom. What he needed was a powerful Great Ming to promote his ideas and assist in his plans.
If the Emperor of Great Ming didn't possess ambition and aspiration, and was merely a dim-witted and incompetent ruler, that would be what Pei Xuanjing would regret the most.
Looking at Bai Xiaosheng and the others, with a smile on his face, he said, "Even if his strength greatly increases, I have confidence in keeping him from having any unwarranted ideas."
Seeing how confident Pei Xuanjing was, they felt helpless. However, they suggested that all of the skill should not be given to the emperor at once. They should keep part of it as a restraint.
"Why bother? If you want to cooperate, give it to him once. Why play the villain?" Pei Xuanjing shook his head, not agreeing with this viewpoint.
The cooperation between the two sides is still in the honeymoon phase. If they were unwilling to give this skill to the other side, it would be okay, and the other side could not say anything.
But if they only give half, clearly showing a defensive attitude, it is undoubtedly deliberately provoking the relationship between the two parties, adding rifts.
They would rather give all of it directly, letting the choice be up to the other party, so that if there is a disagreement in the future, there will be no unjust accusations.
The two held a reserved attitude towards Pei Xuanjing's viewpoint, but they did not continue to obstruct it excessively.
After the two left, the emperor also came in person to see Pei Xuanjing at the Taoist Temple the next day.
The two hadn't seen each other for several years, and the emperor seemed mature, just as Pei Xuanjing had heard. The emperor had already gathered his Divine Soul and was just a step away from becoming a Yin Spirit.
Of course, in the emperor's eyes, the transformation of Pei Xuanjing was earth-shaking. With his increase in strength and the years spent controlling the court, Emperor Jiajing believed he had matured sufficiently and would not be overly moved by anything.
However, upon seeing Pei Xuanjing, he was still so shocked in his heart, he couldn't contain himself. The Pei Xuanjing before him gave him a feeling of awe and immeasurable depth. It seemed that as his own strength increased, the gap between the two of them had not narrowed but instead became even greater.
Undoubtedly, the emperor's original thoughts evaporated in the face of this, at least when facing the current Pei Xuanjing, he knew better not to harbor any thoughts.
"Since you are about to break through to the Spirit Realm, this skill is the most suitable for you." Pei Xuanjing lifted his robe lightly, and a book flew out from his sleeve, floating in front of Emperor Jiajing.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing act like this, with no trace of worldly manners, Emperor Jiajing's pupils slightly contracted. He realized this was a reflection of the ultimate mastery of power, and his heart was astonished.
He did not show any surprise on his face, just reached out to take the book. Before he looked at it, he first thanked him, "Thank you, Master Pei, for your concern."
Pei Xuanjing smiled and said nothing, indicating that he could read the book first.
Emperor Jiajing nodded. He had longed for the process of Refining Spirit in the Spirit Realm for a long time, so he couldn't wait to open the book, not minding anything at this moment.
He was completely immersed in the skill from the first glance.
After a long time, Emperor Jiajing regained his composure. His eyes were filled with anticipation. He wished he could immediately issue an imperial edict to prepare for this matter.
The Incense Fire God Refining Skill, using Incense Faith to strengthen the Yin Spirit, although currently, this skill only reaches the Spirit Realm Sixth Level. According to the founder, this skill can even make one Become Immortal when it is fully cultivated.
Becoming Immortal!
The color of longing appeared in Emperor Jiajing's eyes. Legends tell of immortals, they are immortal and everlasting in the world, which is exactly what he desires most.
The sacrifices he has made, disregarding all the controversy, and choosing to cooperate with Master Pei, isn't it in pursuit of the possibility of longevity?
Now that Pei Xuanjing has placed this opportunity before him, his gratitude for Pei Xuanjing almost reaches a peak.
"Master Pei, for such a great kindness, I, Ziji, am eternally grateful." At this moment, Emperor Jiajing no longer used the royal "I", but the Taoist name Pei Xuanjing had given him when they first met.
Pei Xuanjing smiled and said nothing.
The two discussed the next steps of the plan for the Divine Dynasty on earth, and then Pei Xuanjing introduced Mr. Wu to the other party, asking the mysterious Mr. Wu to join this plan.
In Pei Xuanjing's view, it's better to be active than passive, no matter what purpose they have. Since they have joined, they should make full use of it. Only by making them act could he judge and guess their goals based on their actions. If they were always staying by his side, it's feared that there wouldn't be any gain.
Mr. Wu probably also saw the intention of Pei Xuanjing's arrangement and happily agreed. He returned to Palace City with Emperor Jiajing.
In the following days, Pei Xuanjing refined Taoyun in the Taoist Temple every day. Apart from cultivating, he didn't leave the Taoist Temple.
This action of his caused the eyebrows of many influential people to furrow slightly, but they were helpless.
Although Pei Xuanjing was in seclusion, the actions of the Great Ming imperial court never stopped. In fact, their actions became more frequent.
Just one day after Emperor Jiajing left, he first invited several kings and lords of the royal family, then convened several Council Elders of the dynasty, and some dukes among the Noble Officials, to discuss matters together in the newly constructed Yangxin Palace. Lin Qingyi, the commander of the Brocade Guards, personally led the guards, not allowing anyone to approach.